Stampin' Sunshine-Bringing Sunshine to Every Day

PPA35-Anything But a Card

Happy Thursday, and welcome to the Pals Paper Arts challenge.  Today's challenge is Anything But a Card.  I have to admit, this is usually the toughest one for me to do.   Sometimes I struggle with what I should do, but I always find some kind of last minute inspiration.  Today's challenge actually came pretty easily.  I had picked up some picture frames at the thrift store, and wanted to make some decorations for my sister's house.  I've always enjoyed the different projects I've seen in the Stampin' Up! catalog, and my projects today were inspired by that.  The catalog is a a great place to find all kinds of inspiration.  If you haven't seen one lately (and don't already have a Stampin' Up! demonstrator,) e-mail me and I'll be happy to chat with you about getting one.

I wanted to make something that was fast and fun.  My sister's favorite Designer Series Paper is Raspberry Tart (retired) so I wanted to work a bit of that into the project.  Making the "pictures" was basically the same process for making a card--deciding on the base, design, and embellishments.  A sentiment, some punches, a Big Shot and dies, and some coordinating paper, and you have fun and easy decorations.  I know my sister will enjoy these, and I hope you will too. 

I hope you'll join us and find out just how much fun it is to play at PPA!!

Stamps:  A Happy Heart

Paper:  Raspberry Tart (retired) and Sweet Pea Designer Series Paper, Rose Red, Very Vanilla, and Old Olive Card Stock

Ink:  Rose Red Classic Ink

Tools:  Scallop Circle Punch, Heart to Heart Punch, Big Shot, Birds and Blooms and Little Leaves dies, Snail Adhesive, Stampin' Dimensionals

Fun:  Sweet Pea Stitched Felt

PPA34-A Sketch Challenge

Welcome to the Pals Paper Arts challenge.  It's my favorite part about Thursdays!!

If you're anything like me, you've been known to be a bit of a Last Minute Lucy (or Linus.)  When that happens, you need something quick and easy.  When that's what I need, there are 4 things that help me make it quick and easy:  Big Shot (you KNOW I love any chance to use this!!), punches, Designer Series Paper, and Stampin' Dimensionals.  Give a girl a fish and you feed her for a day. Give a girl these 4 items, and the paper crafting possibilities are endless!!

You know I love a Sketch Challenge, because it's another chance to use an amazing sketch designed by the fabulous Margaret Moody, a fellow Pal.  Today's sketch is no exception.

Layering is a great technique to help build a lovely and interesting card.   I knew I wanted to use Cottage Wall Designer Series Paper, so I built the rest of the card around those colors.  By layering various patterns from Cottage Wall, along with Rich Razzleberry, Orchid Opulence, and Old Olive, it combines to make a lovely and interesting card, and a beautiful color palette.  Add a flower made by using the Big Shot and the Flowers Layer 3 die, a couple of Build a Brads, a few Stampin' Dimensionals, and a sentiment and design stamped using the Well Scripted and Vintage Vogue stamp sets (both still available in the Occasions Mini catalog) and you have a card that was quick and easy and fun to make!!  (Shh, don't tell my sister Mary that it's for her when I go to visit her and her family in Rhode Island this weekend!!) 

Stamps:  Vintage Vogue and Well Scripted

Paper:  Cottage Wall Designer Series Paper, Rich Razzleberry, Orchid Opulence, and Old Olive Card Stock

Ink:  Old Olive Classic Ink

Tools:  Big Shot, Flower Layers 3 Die, 3/16" Corner Round Punch, 1/2" Circle Punch, Stampin' Dimensionals, Snail Adhesive

Fun:  Build a Brads

PPA 33-A Color Challenge

Today's Pals Paper Arts Challenge is especially fun for me--green has always been my favorite color.  Growing up, my parents always got my younger sister and me the same things for Christmas, except mine was green and hers was red.  And all these years later, my favorite color is still green, and Mary's favorite color is still red.  Who knows, maybe in the near future we'll have a red PPA color challenge.  That one will be for her!!

Today's card is for my Mom, who will be 81 next week.  Garden from the Heart was the perfect stamp set to use for this card.    Mom loves plants and has the greenest thumb I've ever seen.  (Anyone who knows me knows that I did NOT inherit that from her.  I've never met a plant I couldn't kill !!)  This card celebrates her love of gardening, and also her love of birds.  I know that today's challenge did not include red, but I wanted to put just a little bit in there for my sister.  

The Scissor Circle Plus is fabulous for making larger circles, and was used to make a layer on top of a Scallop Circle.  A little bit of Certainly Celery ribbon layered on top of Kraft and Certainly Celery card stocks, a sentiment from the Well Scripted stamp set (and it couldn't have been a more appropriate sentiment--she IS a wonderful mother, to whom I owe much) and an Extra Large Two Step Bird  in Real Red (that's for you Moo) attached with a Stampin' Dimensional adds a nice finishing touch to the card. 

I love you Mom!!

Stamps:  Garden from the Heart, Well Scripted

Paper:  Green Galore (I grabbed the wrong color and didn't realize until I'd finished the card!!), Certainly Celery, Whisper White, Kraft, and Real Red card stock

Ink:  Green Galore Classic Ink

Tools:  Big Shot, Scallop Circle Die, Circle Scissor Plus, Extra Large Two Step Bird Punch, Stamp-a-Majig, Snail Adhesive, Stampin' Dimensionals, Water Color Pencils

Fun:  Certainly Celery 5/8" Satin Ribbon

Welcome to the Pals Spring Hop

Welcome!!  If you've hopped over from Kim Lampone's  Stamp, Scrap, Get Kreative, I'm stop number 14 on the PALS HOP and I'm glad you hopped in!  I'll help you "hop along" from blog to blog where you'll find inspirational ideas for papercrafted creations from Mary Fish's Stampin' Pretty Pals!  We'll be showcasing all that Stampin' Up! has to offer!  Should you hop off course, simply click on any of the links in the PALS HOP LINE-UP below and you'll be back on track!  We're thrilled to have you visit and excited to hear what you think about our hop, featuring Sale-A-Bration products!  Please feel free to leave as many comments as you'd like along the way!

The first things I think of when I think of Spring are flowers, bright colors, and most important of all, Easter.  The celebration of our Lord's Resurrection is first in my heart, and I hope you, too, will be blessed this Easter.  I hope you will also enjoy this Easter card that I've created for our fabulous Pals Spring Blog Hop.

There is no shortage of bright colors with Stampin' Up!'s Bold Brights (one of 4 color families from Stampin' Up!)  I used YoYo Yellow, Pink Passion and Green Galore for my Spring color palette.   For the flowers, I stamped the image from Abundant Hope using Green Galore, then using a Blender Pen and ink pressed into the ink pad lid, I colored in the flowers with YoYo Yellow.  I used the swirly stamp (technical term--swirly!!) from the Abundant Hope set to make a border in Green Galore.  The sentiment punched with the Modern Label Punch, a Scallop Trim border design in Pink Passion, and some Bold Brights Brads in Green Galore round out the colorful Spring palette.

Tip: The inside is stamped with the other sentiment from the Abundant Hope set--"Rejoicing with you in the abundant mercy and hope of Christ the Lord. "  I AM rejoicing, and pray that blessing for you as well.  And I KNOW you'll be blessed as you continue on the hop!!

Stamps:  Abundant Hope

Paper:  YoYo Yellow, Pink Passion and Whisper White Card Stock

Ink:  Green Galore and YoYo Yellow Classic Inks

Tools:  Scallop Border Punch, Modern Label Punch, Stamp-a-Majig, Paper Piercer, Mat Pack, Blender Pen, Stampin' Dimensionals

Fun:  Bold Brights Brads

More inspiring ideas await you at Ann Schach's The Stampin' Schach, stop number 15 on the PALS HOP.   Hop over and see Ann's wonderfully creative ideas!  Thanks for "hopping" by! 

Regina Mangum -- The Stampin' Bean
Mike Funke -- Stampin-Style
Martha Stewart -- Seasons of Stamping
Anne Beale Yancey -- Mukibug
Liz Hughes -- DIY Paper Creations
Mary Fish -- Stampin' Pretty
Jason Casper -- Jason's Stampin' Pad
Melanie Collins -- Oops a Daisy
Kris Kilcoyne -- Kween Bee Kreations
Tricia Gillam -- Soul Stamper
Barbara Furlong -- The Love of Stamping
Gina Shaw -- Cards by Gina
Kim Lampone -- Stamp, Scrap, Get Kreative
Debbie Pierce -- Stampin' Sunshine
Ann Schach -- The Stampin' Schach
Kalshelia Lloyd -- Stampin' Fabulousity
Lourdes Torres -- Cozy Crafty Corner
Carla Bazhenow -- Carla's Scraps

PPA32-A Theme Challenge-Spring

I love Spring!!  Although Fall is my favorite season, Spring is a close second.  There's something about all of Creation coming alive that gives you a sense of renewal and hope.  That's why I'm especially looking forward to the inspired creations that today's Pals Paper Arts challenge will bring. 

I love Spring flowers and I love the colors of spring.  I wanted to create something that combined both.  These fun little bags can be used for a number of things, anything from Easter baskets to party favors.  And with (my favorite!!) the Big Shot and Fancy Favor Die, making these are as easy as pie (and I LOVE pie!!)  Ask me how you could get the Big Shot and Fancy Favor Die for 30% off!!

Stamps:  Vintage Vogue

Paper:Green Galore, Orchid Opulence, Pixie Pink and So Saffron Cardstock, Cottage Wall Designer Series Paper

Ink: Green Galore, Orchid Opulence, Pixie Pink, So Saffron Classic Inks

Tools:  Big Shot, Fancy Favor Die, 1/2" Punch, Paper Snips, Stampin' Dimensionals, Sticky Strip